Buckler joins the Navs for his first collegiate summer after appearing in four games out of Virginia Tech’s bullpen as a freshman, throwing five strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .235 average over his 4.2 innings. Buckler burst onto the scene with three strikeouts in a scoreless and hitless debut on Feb. 23 against Rhode Island, which marked his first of two unblemished appearances on the season.

Joining Virginia Tech from Marstons Mills on Cape Cod, Buckler was an accomplished athlete at The Winchendon School. Perfect Game rated him as the No. 17 overall player among high schoolers in Massachusetts’ 2023 class. He also played hockey.